‘Listen to the people’: PM’s push for water mega-projects triggers flood of concern 

Concerned Thais and environmentalists have expressed alarm at Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s support for a 2.2-trillion-baht water management project on the Mekong, Chi and Mun rivers.

“I hope the prime minister will not rush to give the project a green light. I really hope he will study the information carefully before making a decision,” said Asst Prof Sitang Pilailar, a water-management expert at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Engineering.

She warned that the situation of the Mekong River is uncertain and threatened by China’s plans to build more dams upstream, with global warming could also reduce the river’s volume significantly.

“If the government jumps too fast to a conclusion, the huge 2.2-trillion-baht budget may be wasted,” the academic said.

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